Hydrodynamics and Cohesive Sediment Transport in the IJzer Estuary, Belgium: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 4
Abstract
The quantification and monitoring of sediment dynamics in estuaries has received plenty of attention in recent years due to both economic and environmental interests. Numerical models have been widely applied for predicting the morphodynamic evolution of these areas. However, the degree of uncertainty of these models is often very high due to the lack of measurements necessary for a complete model calibration and validation. In this paper, different methods have been integrated to overcome these limitations. The hydrodynamics and suspended sediment transport in the IJzer estuary were estimated by means of field data and with the use of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model coupled to a morphodynamic model. Tidal pumping was recognized as the main driving mechanism of sediments inside the estuary. Erosion-deposition areas calculated with the numerical model were compared to the locations and volumes of dredged material. Model results and measurements were generally in good agreement. Additional support for the morphodynamic model results came from airborne hyperspectral images acquired in 2001 and 2005.
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Acknowledgments
The study was conducted within the framework of the MONAIJ project (Monitoring Natuurherstel IJzermonding), financed by the Nature Department of AMINAL, Ministry of the Flemish Community. The writers wish to thank the European Community for the financial support through the LIFE project, which enabled the monitoring work. Additional support was provided by the Research Foundation Flanders Project No. G.0477.04, by the projects ALGASED (Remote Sensing for Characterization of Intertidal Sediments and Microphytobenthic Algae) in the framework of the STEREO II program (Support to the Exploitation and Research of Earth Observation data), and QUEST4D in the framework of Science for Sustainable Development program, both supported by the Belgian Science Policy. The writers gratefully acknowledge Flanders Hydraulics (Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium), GEMS, and IMDC for the different data and measurements they supplied. Bathymetric data were provided by the Flemish Ministry of Mobility and Public Works (Vlaams ministerie van Mobiliteit en Openbare Werken), Coastal Division (Agentschap voor Maritieme Dienstverleningen en Kust). Airborne images were collected in the framework of the research program for earth observation STEREO. Tidal data were collected by the same division, but were accessed through the database supported by the Flemish Maritime Institute (VLIZ). Additional data were collected within the framework of the CISS project (Bio-physical Characterization of Indicators of Sediment Stability in mudflats using Remote Sensing), financed by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Thanks are extended to the master students Boudewijn Decrop, Indira Nolivos, Ahbar Choudhury, Xinyao Yang, and Revai Baloyi for their work in setting up the numerical models and analyzing the measurements. Many thanks go to Luc Willems for the data collection and to Sam Provoost for his valuable remarks on the field data analysis. The writers are also grateful to Mark Henry for his comments and corrections which resulted in an improved manuscript.
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© 2009 ASCE.
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Received: Jan 22, 2008
Accepted: Dec 10, 2008
Published online: Jun 15, 2009
Published in print: Jul 2009
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